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Enemy Forces at Sea

At 1220 on 27 March, a British Flying Boat on reconnaissance reported a force of enemy cruisers12 and a destroyer off Sicily in 36° 54’ N., 17° 10’ E. steering 120°, but owing to bad visibility was unable to shadow.

On the strength of this report the C.-in-C., Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, decided to proceed to sea. Finding, however, that the original dispositions would leave the cruisers without sufficient support and the battle fleet without sufficient destroyers for a screen, he made the following alterations in his plans:

(a) The VALF with the cruisers (Force B) was to rendezvous at 0630/28 further to the eastward, S. of Gavdo Is., in 34° 20’ N., 24° 10’ E.

(b) The five destroyers of Force C were to remain with the battle fleet.

(e) The movement of T.B.R. aircraft to Cyrenaica was cancelled.

(d) R.A.F. reconnaissance was arranged for 28 March over the South Ionian Sea, the South West Aegean and south of Crete.

The British main fleet (Force A), consisting of three battleships, one aircraft carrier and nine destroyers, left Alexandria at 1900/27 and as dusk fell, shrouding its departure, steered westward on a course 300°, at 20 knots. Six hours before, the VALF, Vice-Admiral Pridham-Wippell, had left the Piraeus (Athens) at 1300/27, with four cruisers and two destroyers, having ordered the remaining two destroyers to leave Suda Bay and join his flag in 34° 20’ N., 24° 10’ E., 30 miles south of Gavdo Island, south of Crete, at 0630/28.

The three destroyers of Force D were assembled at the Piraeus on the morning of 28 March13 and after refuelling kept steam at short notice.

Instructions had already been given to the submarines Rover and Triumph and these were now amplified; they were ordered to patrol off Suda Bay and Anti Milo and wait for an enemy force or convoy expected to be entering the Aegean on 28 March. A message was also sent at 1822 to Captain Portal, Senior Officer at Suda Bay, warning him to withdraw patrols. Unfortunately that very morning his ship, the cruiser HMS York, had been attacked and hit by a new type of one-man motor explosive boat14 and was lying badly damaged and beached in Suda Bay, a mishap which seriously affected British signal communications with the Fleet Air Arm force at Maleme.